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Dissemination of information on voluntary return: how to reach irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities

European Migration Network Focused Study

Olga Evans, Jack Forster, Jonathan Burchell and Carolyne Tah of the UK EMN National Contact Point

June 2015

Disclaimer: The following responses have been provided primarily for the purpose of completing a Synthesis

Report for the above-titled European Migration Network (EMN) Focused Study. The contributing EMN

National Contact Points have provided information that is, to the best of their knowledge, up-to-date,

objective and reliable within the context and confines of this study. The information may thus not provide a

complete description and may not represent the entirety of the official policy of an EMN National Contact

Point’s Member State.

2 Dissemination of information on voluntary return: how to reach irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities

Contents

Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3

1. Overview of the national situation ................................................................................................................ 5

1.1 Scale of irregular migration and of return in the Member State ................................................. 5

1.2 Scale and nature of irregular migrants who are not in contact with the authorities .......... 6

2. National legislation and policy on the dissemination of information on (voluntary) return ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

3. Overall national approach to disseminating information on (voluntary) return ....................... 12

3.1 Actors involved in disseminating information on (voluntary) return ........................................ 12

3.2 Tools used to disseminate information on (voluntary) return to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities ................................................................................................................................ 17

3.3 Specific campaigns and strategies ........................................................................................................... 23

3.4 Accessibility of the information ................................................................................................................. 29

3.5 Content of the information ......................................................................................................................... 32

3.6 Targeting of the information ...................................................................................................................... 37

4. Case studies on information provision to irregular migrants with whom the authorities do not have contact ........................................................................................................................................................ 38

5. Effectiveness of different approaches to disseminating information on (voluntary) return 40

5.1 Indications/evidence from the testimonies of irregular migrants and returnees ................ 40

5.2 Other indications/evidence of effectiveness ........................................................................................ 43

5.3 Lessons learnt .................................................................................................................................................... 43

Annex 1: National statistics on return and number of irregular third-country nationals .......... 45

Annex 2: Description of data-collection methods used ............................................................................ 48


Summary

Overview of the national situation: Scope and scale of irregular migration The UK has no official estimates of the number of migrants illegally present in the country for the period 2010 to 2014. In 2014 the UK, however, enforced removal of 8,963 such migrants and saw 25,815 more depart voluntarily; among the latter were 2,403 cases of Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR).1 Migrants who are illegally present in the UK may not be in contact with the authorities because they have yet to be detected or because they have absconded from contact.

National legislation and policy on dissemination of information on voluntary return The Home Office is the UK government department with responsibility for delivery of immigration enforcement. There is no legislation on the dissemination of information on voluntary return. Operational guidance for Home Office staff explains the process for issuing information to migrants who do not have the right to remain in the UK. There is separate guidance on action to take when an individual expresses interest in AVR. When a migrant who does not have valid permission to be present in the UK is advised, in writing, that they have an obligation to leave they may be provided with contact details for the new Home Office Central Voluntary Departures Service. The Immigration Act 2014 included measures to streamline the appeals and removals system and reduce incentives to stay in the UK illegally through restricting access to public and private services. These changes are expected to increase willingness to return voluntarily, and work is underway to develop enhanced voluntary return communication strategies.

Overall national approach to disseminating information on voluntary return To deliver its immigration enforcement objectives, the Home Office works in partnership with other government departments and statutory bodies (such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority; local authorities; the National Health Service) coming into contact with migrants illegally present in the UK to disseminate information about voluntary return options. The Home Office also funds external partners to deliver the two main voluntary return processes. The UK AVR programme, ‘Choices’, is currently delivered by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Refugee Action.2 ‘Choices’ promotes AVR across a variety of media and

1 Source: Home Office: Subset of UK data published in Column D for Eurostat table ‘EIL Y3 RET’. Immigration returns from within the UK are delivered as enforced removals or voluntary departures. The UK distinguishes between three broad types of voluntary departures/return: AVR; ‘notified voluntary departure’ (NVD); and ‘other confirmed voluntary departure’ (OCVD) in its national statistics. Generally, migrants returning through these processes no longer have legal rights to residence in the UK; however, the UK AVR programme is open to asylum route migrants who have not yet had their case determined as well as to failed asylum seekers. Eurostat data differ from published Home Office statistics, primarily due to the inclusion of EU nationals returned within the Home Office statistics and the exclusion of these individuals here. Furthermore, a statistically significant proportion of voluntary departures are identified via data matching on Home Office systems, and are usually subject to upward revision as matching checks are made on travellers after departure. Data will be revised in August 2015. (See Table A.1.a in Annex 1 for further detail.)

2 The UK AVR programme has since its inception in 1999 been delivered by an NGO. Until March 2011 the UK AVR programme was delivered by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Since April 2011 it has been delivered by ‘Choices’; this is a project subsidiary of the independent UK NGO


in 18 languages. Its tools include:

a dedicated website and free phone helpline; proactive and reactive distribution of leaflets, posters, booklets and DVDs; and outreach work and surgeries with diaspora communities.

Simultaneously, outreach is provided by the internal AVR team and wider Home Office via:

web pages; enforcement letters; contact with Home Office staff; leaflets at reporting centres and distributed to Home Office partners.

The Central Voluntary Departures Service, implemented in March 2014, is delivered by a private sector organisation, Capita. It provides a central point of contact for illegal migrants interested in a voluntary departure but requiring little or no assistance.3 Such migrants are signposted to it through many Home Office channels including: web pages; decision letters and enforcement notices; contact with Capita and Home Office staff; and leaflets distributed by reporting centres and Home Office partners.

Capita also delivers a ‘Contact Management’ service. This uses sustained, systematic contact and messaging by letter, email, texting and telephone to reiterate enforcement messages and promote voluntary return to migrants identified as illegally present in the UK.

The UK also funds projects under its Returns and Reintegration Fund, which includes as an objective dissemination of information about voluntary return to specific target groups (e.g. immigration enforcement outreach work with diaspora communities; NGO provision of independent advice to women in detention; and a range of bespoke reintegration projects).

A new Voluntary Departure Strategy was agreed in February 2015. This sets out proposals aimed to increase voluntary departures including through piloting new techniques for communication and to encourage compliance.

Effectiveness of different approaches for reaching irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities Available evidence about the performance of the UK approaches suggest the following as success factors:

dissemination through migrant community settings; balance of enforcement messages with information about voluntary return; access to information without threat of arrest; building relationships and trust, responding to individual circumstances; and provision of information in key migrant languages.

Access to more data about illegally present migrants’ responses to dissemination activities in relation to return (gathered through project monitoring data and information in Home Office case files or through primary research) could enhance tailoring of approaches.

Refugee Action.

3 Returns following contact with the Central Voluntary Departures Service are counted among ‘notified voluntary departures’. People contact the service may however be referred on to ‘Choices’ or other Home Office teams if initial discussion of their case indicates this to be more appropriate.


1. Overview of the national situation

1.1 Scale of irregular migration and of return in the UK

Q1. If available, please provide any estimates of the scale of irregular migrants in your Member State 2010–2014.

The UK has no definitive official estimates of the scale of the illegally present migrant4 population in the UK over the period 2010–14. The challenges around producing such estimates, the options available and the limitations to these as sound bases for comparison between EU Member States and for decision making are discussed in detail in the UK report to the EMN (2012) Practical Measures for Reducing Irregular Migration.5

Routinely published UK national statistics6 relating to irregular migration activity include: Home Office Immigration Statistics7 for ‘removals and voluntary departures’ and ‘asylum applications, first decisions and final decisions’. The UK also provides migration statistics to Eurostat. These are provided to Eurostat definitions and include statistics for the following: migrants ‘found to be illegally present’, ‘ordered to leave’, and ‘returned’.

Q2. Provide any estimates and/or actuals for the period 2010–2014 for: a. number of irregularly staying third-country nationals returning by physical transportation out of the Member State, on the basis of a return decision8 (forced return); b. number of irregularly staying third-country nationals returning voluntarily within the time limit fixed for that purpose in the return decision (voluntary departure9);

4 Irregular migration has no official definition in the UK. Migrants still in the UK who no longer fulfil or have never fulfilled the conditions for entry, stay or residence in the UK are considered ‘illegal migrants’. These would include the following: visa/visa waiver overstayers; legal entrants in breach of conditions of their leave to remain in the UK (e.g. illegal working); failed asylum seekers; illegal entrants (e.g. clandestine entrants).

5 Home Office (2012) Practical Measures for Reducing Irregular Migration. London: Home Office. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/european_migration_network/reports/docs/emn-studies/irregular-migration/uk_20120402_practicalmeasuresforreducingirregularmigration_final_en.pdf

6 The UK Statistics Authority sets standards for official and ‘national’ statistical information. The latest guidance is available at: http://www.google.co.uk/url?url=http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/monitoring/monitoring-reviews/monitoring-review-3-2015---official-statistics--performance-measurement-and-targets.pdf&rct=j&frm=1&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=VtxtVb_1N4OAUcHagZAF&ved=0CBQQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFIzhv9EenIb65igf6HEYYbacMNqQ 7 The latest Home Office Immigration Statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015.

8 This is an administrative or judicial decision or act, stating or declaring the stay of a third-country national to be illegal and imposing or stating an obligation to return.

9 The UK definition of ‘voluntary departure’ is broader than that at Q2b.For the UK, ‘voluntary departure’ includes: ‘notified voluntary departures’, ‘assisted voluntary returns’, and ‘other confirmed voluntary departures’. A ‘notified voluntary departure’ is one where a person, established to have breached UK immigration laws and/or having no valid leave to remain in the UK, for whom removal directions may or may not have been set, has notified the Home Office of their wish to make their own arrangements to leave the UK and provided evidence of this; and the Home Office will have been required to facilitate/monitor the departure as necessary. An ‘Assisted Voluntary Return’ is one through a range of programmes available to individuals in the asylum system or who irregular migrants are and who wish to return home permanently. ‘Other confirmed voluntary departures’ are those where persons are established to have left (through data matching) or have been identified leaving the UK (through embarkation controls) without formally informing the immigration authorities of their departure.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/european_migration_network/reports/docs/emn-studies/irregular-migration/uk_20120402_practicalmeasuresforreducingirregularmigration_final_en.pdf



http://www.google.co.uk/url?url=http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/monitoring/monitoring-reviews/monitoring-review-3-2015---official-statistics--performance-measurement-and-targets.pdf&rct=j&frm=1&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=VtxtVb_1N4OAUcHagZAF&ved=0CBQQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFIzhv9EenIb65igf6HEYYbacMNqQ



https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015


c. number of irregularly staying third-country nationals returning via assisted voluntary return (AVR) packages (assisted voluntary return); d. number of irregularly staying third-country nationals returning via AVR and reintegration (AVRR) packages (assisted voluntary return and reintegration – where different from c). These data are provided in Table A.1.a in Annex 1.

1.2 Scale and nature of irregular migrants who are not in contact with the authorities

Q3. This study focuses on irregular migrants whose whereabouts/place of residence are no longer (or were never) known to the authorities and who, therefore, are not in contact with the authorities. Please define this group by listing in bullet points the main scenarios in which the authorities would not have contact with irregular migrants.

In the UK situation the following are scenarios in which the authorities would not have immediate contact with illegally present migrants, although they may of course come across all of these at some point, for example through enforcement action:

migrant entered the UK clandestinely (and was not detected at the border and has not subsequently been detected);

migrant entered the UK by deception but has not been detected;

migrant entered the UK legally but has overstayed or violated the conditions of their entry to the UK and not been detected; and

migrant illegally present in the UK (as above) has been in contact with the authorities seeking leave to remain or as part of the immigration enforcement process but has subsequently absconded (failed to remain in contact with the authorities).

Q4. If available, please provide any estimates of the scale of the two groups irregular migrants covered in this study for the period 2010–2014: a. irregular migrants who were previously known to the authorities, but whose place of residence is no longer known to the authorities (absconding); b. irregular migrants whose residence on the territory has never been known to the authorities (clandestine entry).

a) No estimates are available.

b) No estimates are available.10

10 The Home Office publishes management information about migrants identified from administrative records as having received a negative decision in relation to their immigration status in the UK (i.e. refusal, curtailment, rejection against an in-country migration application) and where there is no evidence of departure from the UK. These records are collectively referred to as the Migration Refusal Pool (MRP). Due to the specific criteria of the MRP, it does not fully reflect the size of the illegally present population (including absconders and clandestine entrants). Lack of evidence of departure does not preclude migrants having left. Furthermore, the MRP does not capture all overstayers, but only those where an in-country negative decision has been recorded. The latest MRP figures can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-may-2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-may-2015


Q5. Provide a short overview of the challenges faced in the Member State by actors involved in promoting voluntary return in reaching out to the two above-mentioned groups of irregular migrants (i.e. those who are not in contact with the authorities). Challenges around reaching migrants illegally present in the UK, but not in contact with the authorities, with information about voluntary return may include the following.

Locating such migrants.

The pool of such migrants is diverse (e.g. in terms of languages, gender, migration history, socioeconomic characteristics; situation in the UK and in the return country) and dynamic. Responding to the diversity of individual migrant circumstances and tailoring messages and actions accordingly is challenging and there is limited data on these migrants’ responses to voluntary return dissemination activities.

Such migrants may not be receptive to information about voluntary return (particularly if they consider that enforcement is unlikely either because of their particular circumstances or because they are not exposed to evidence of enforcement activity).

Some of the most vulnerable of such migrants may live outside mainstream society and not have any contact with potential channels for communication of voluntary return messages. Those who do not have driving licences or bank accounts, who work in the underground economy and do not rent from reputable landlords may not be reached by new interventions and sanctions designed to make it harder to live illegally in the UK.

It is difficult to control the information reaching migrants not in contact with the authorities; they may be exposed to misleading information sources.

Managing potential public hostility to the provision of assistance for return.

Q6. Are there any other specific groups of (irregular) migrant group that actors involved in promoting voluntary return find hard to reach? If so, please describe them here.

No.


2. National legislation and policy on the dissemination of information on (voluntary) return

Q7. Has your Member State set out provisions or rules regarding the dissemination/provision of information on (voluntary) return in legislation or in soft law (e.g. guidelines, policy papers)? For example, it may have outlined obligations for certain state authorities to provide such information in asylum interviews, on issuing a return decision, or may have introduced obligations to make information available online or in public places (Yes/No).

If yes, please state the name(s) of the legislation/policy(s) and describe what it says about:

a. the actors involved/responsible;

b. the content of the information, e.g. whether it covers assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR), other voluntary return options, legal obligations including information about return decisions;

c. the timing of the information provision (e.g. on applying for international protection/for a visa) or only on becoming irregular;

d. any particular provisions for vulnerable groups (e.g. victims of trafficking, unaccompanied minors, elderly people) and other specific groups (e.g. specific nationalities);

e. the tools of dissemination (in person [written], in person [oral], via post, via email, in a telephone call, in public spaces, etc.);

f. the language(s) in which the information must be given and any accessibility/quality criteria (visual presentation, style of language to be used, etc.);

g. confidentiality considerations (e.g. whether the anonymity of the irregular migrant is maintained if they consult an information service).

a) As the UK government department with responsibility for immigration and asylum policy and delivery of immigration enforcement, the Home Office provides operational guidance and training to staff on returns caseworking.


b) and c) UK control of migration is based on use of primary legislation contained in the Immigration Act 197111 and amended by subsequent Acts; the latest is the Immigration Act 2014.12 This primary legislation does not specify provisions or rules for dissemination of information on voluntary returns.13

Operational guidance is published internally to Home Office staff (and publicly accessible versions of the guidance are published on the UK cross-government ‘GOV.UK’ website). There is guidance about the process and methods for notifying migrants that they no longer have the right to remain in the UK and should depart.14 Decision notices include information about help available for voluntary departure.

There is separate guidance for Home Office staff on:

the options and eligibility criteria for assisted voluntary return (AVR) the assistance that may be provided; and how to manage cases where an individual has expressed interest in and then applied

for AVR.15 Where an eligible migrant expresses interest in AVR, Home Office staff are instructed to refer the migrant to ‘Choices’, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) delivering the UK AVR programme for the Home Office.

d) In the case of ‘potential victims of trafficking’ is it stated that the competent authority must inform the potential victim of the opportunities for voluntary return (specifically AVR) ‘as soon as possible’. The content, timing, tools and languages for provision of such information are not specified.

In the case of families identified as illegally staying in the UK, a Family Returns Process16 was implemented in 2011. This process involves active provision of information about voluntary return options to migrant families illegally present in the UK by Home Office and NGO staff.

e) See b and c.

f) The operational guidance does not describe the language and accessibility of information.

g) The operational guidance does not describe confidentiality considerations.

11 Immigration Act 1971: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/contents 12 Immigration Act 2014: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-bill 13 Immigration returns from within the UK are delivered as enforced removals or voluntary departures. The UK distinguishes between three broad types of

voluntary departures/return: ‘assisted voluntary return’ (AVR); ‘notified voluntary departure’ (NVD); and ‘other confirmed voluntary departure’ (OCVD) in its national statistics. Generally, migrants returning through these processes no longer have legal rights to residence in the UK; however, the UK AVR programme is open to asylum route migrants who have not yet had their case determined as well as to failed asylum seekers.

14 Publicly accessible version of guidance for Home Office staff on detention and removals (downloaded 21 April 2015) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapters-46-to-62-detention-and-removals

15 Publicly accessible version of AVR guidance for Home Office staff (downloaded 21 April 2015): https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300369/AVR_guidance_v10.0EXT.pdf 16 Lane, M., Murray, D., Smith, T., Jones, J., Hichens, E., Richardson, V., Linley, R., and Zurawan, A. . (2013) Evaluation of the New Family Returns Process. London: Home Office. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/264658/horr78.pdf

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/77/contents

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-bill

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapters-46-to-62-detention-and-removals

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300369/AVR_guidance_v10.0EXT.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/264658/horr78.pdf


Q8. Specifically, what information does the national authority provide to the migrant when it issues a return decision, and how does it provide this information? Please specify:

a) the content of the information (e.g. AVR, obligations);

b) the different language(s) in which the information is made available and whether it is available in the applicant’s stated mother tongue;

c) how the information is presented visually, style of language used, etc.;

d) the tools of dissemination used (in person [written], in person [oral], via post, via email, in a telephone call, etc.).

a) With some variation, depending upon the circumstances in which the decision is issued, the content is likely to cover the following:

the basis for this decision; a statement that the recipient has an obligation to leave; explanation of action to be taken if the decision is disputed by the recipient; any conditions of continued residence (e.g. that they will be detained or – if not

detained – any reporting conditions, and advising that removal will be enforced if they do not leave voluntarily and that other penalties may be applied for non-compliance);

contact number and email address for the Central Voluntary Departures Service and for Choices Refugee Action.

b) The information is provided in English.

c) The wording is set out in guidance indicated at Q7.

d) When a migrant receives a negative decision on an asylum or visa application, or is identified in other ways as being illegally present in the UK, the Home Office will issue (by post or in person) a letter informing the individual that they have no right to stay in the UK. Communication about voluntary return through these letters is at the time of writing evolving in line with other developments coming out of the Immigration Act 2014. The letters contain information about both voluntary departure and AVR.

Q9. Did the above-described legislation and policy change at all as a result of the adoption and transposition of the Returns Directive?17

Not applicable. The UK does not participate in the Returns Directive.

Q10. Are any changes to legislation/policy having an impact on the dissemination of information on (voluntary) return planned for the future? If yes, please describe here.

Changes made under the Immigration Act 2014 (with implementation from summer 2014 onwards) include streamlining of the appeals and removals systems and measures to make it more difficult to live in the UK illegally, creating incentives for compliance. These include:

17 The Republic of Ireland and the UK do not participate in the Returns Directive and are therefore not bound by its provisions. Norway implements the Directive as it is bound by the provisions of the Schengen acquis.


reducing the number of immigration decisions that attract an appeal; removing the need for a separate removal decision; and removing or restricting access to public and private services (e.g. rented housing, bank

accounts, driving licences) where status is found to be illegal.

These measures are expected to increase willingness to return voluntarily. Decision notices have been updated to include reference to the need to return home and provide contact details for the new Central Voluntary Departures Service (introduced in 2014).

Work is also underway to develop the communication strategy to promote the Central Voluntary Departures Service. Activities aim:

to increase understanding and promotion of voluntary return across Immigration Enforcement and Asylum staff;

to use ‘behavioural insights’ approaches to review, tailor and improve communication approaches; and

to pilot new approaches.

These will include more intensive, individually tailored, face-to-face promotion of voluntary return by Home Office staff at immigration reporting centres; and the inclusion of messages about voluntary departure in service refusal letters (as described above). The ultimate goal is to ensure that suitably tailored messages about voluntary return reach all migrants illegally present in the UK at points when they may be most receptive.


3. Overall national approach to disseminating information on (voluntary) return

3.1 Actors involved in disseminating information on (voluntary) return

Q11. Which national authorities responsible for the return of irregular migrants18 play a role in disseminating information on (voluntary) return, either as part of the processes outlined in section 3 or otherwise?

For each authority playing a role in disseminating information in your Member State, please briefly describe the role and the circumstances under which they provide the information.

Please cover the period in the last five years (from 2010–2014), as well as future/planned activities in this area if relevant/available.

The Home Office is the government department responsible for immigration and asylum policy and therefore responsible for policy and operations in respect of migrants illegally present in the UK. This may involve co-operation with other government departments and other organisations or bodies to support policy implementation, e.g. by controlling access of this group to welfare provisions of public services and providing information and assistance for voluntary return.

Other government departments and bodies

New sanctions against illegal migrants will involve other government departments and statutory bodies in issuing advice or contact details for voluntary returns. For example the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) will revoke driving licences, and banks and building societies will refuse access to new current accounts. Letters notifying illegal migrants of these actions will include reference to voluntary return and provide contact details for the Central Voluntary Departures Service and Choices – Refugee Action. Local authorities and National Health Service providers are trained by Home Office staff about voluntary returns options so that they can provide information to illegal migrants that they encounter.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Migration Directorate manages the UK’s Returns and Reintegration Fund and delivers projects under this aimed to encourage, among other outcomes, voluntary return – including through provision of information to

18 See Section 2.1 of the Background to this Common Template for a definition of these authorities.


illegal migrants pre-departure. These projects are implemented by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and inter-governmental organisations (IGOs).

Q12. Which other actors disseminate information on (voluntary) return; what roles do these actors have and what is the rationale for their involvement in disseminating information on (voluntary) return?

Please complete Table 1 below.



Table 1. Other actors disseminating information on (voluntary) return, their role and the rationale for their involvement

Actor Y/N Role that the actor plays in disseminating information voluntary return Nature of/rationale for

involvement

NGOs/IGOs dealing

with return

counselling and/or

implementing assisted

voluntary return (AVR)

schemes

Y

‘Choices’ runs a website providing information on AVR in 18 languages; runs the AVR helpline;

produces and distributes leaflets and posters to reporting centres and on request to other

stakeholder groups; also makes available DVDs, going home booklets and newsletters free through

its website; holds outreach sessions in community venues (e.g. shops, cafes, internet cafes, with local

community organisations); and, until April 2014, ran surgeries in detention centres.

Choices activities are similar to those used previously by the International Organisation for Migration

(IOM), involving diverse general and targeted strategies and a multi-media approach to information

dissemination.

IOM maintains the IRRiCO II database, which provides return-related information to migrants

considering return. Potential applicants for the Home Office Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) are

signposted to this website.

Implements and runs the AVR

programme for the Home Office

under a grant agreement. Role

fulfilled by IOM to April 2011 and

since then, by ‘Choices’.

IOM is funded by the Home Office

to deliver post-return reintegration

assistance to returnees under the

FRS.

Other NGOs/civil

society organisations

(e.g. migrant rights

groups, migrant-led

organisations and

other advocacy

groups)

Y

‘Choices’ regional NGO delivery partners in the UK (Scottish Refugee Council; North of England

Refugee Service; Northern Refugee Centre; Refugee and Migrant Centre) can advise on AVR (face-

to-face or by phone). Although migrants are encouraged to call the central ‘Choices’ helpline

number, addresses and telephone numbers for these partners are available on the ‘Choices’ website.

Migrant Help – promote AVR to asylum applicants when they are first provided with asylum

support accommodation.

Praxis, an NGO with good experience in working with Foreign National Offenders (FNOs), is

collaborating with other specialist NGOs to provide accessible and effective resettlement information

to support the overarching government objective of the removal of FNOs and the voluntary return

of other foreign nationals facing immigration removal.

Other NGOs, e.g. the Red Cross and Barnados support clients and advise on the possibility of

return where appropriate.

‘Choices’ regional delivery partners.

Funded by the Home Office.

Funded by the National Offender

Management Service.

Support clients on humanitarian

grounds.

Diaspora groups Y

Engaged by the Home Office, and ‘Choices’ (and historically by IOM) to provide information to

assist tailored information development for different illegal migrant groups; host surgeries and

outreach activities; spread information by ‘word of mouth’.

Voluntary engagement – to assist

illegal migrants resolve their

irregular immigration situation.


Faith-based groups Y As above.

Voluntary engagement to promote

and raise awareness of voluntary

departure.

Migrant-led groups Y As above. As above.

Other community

groups Y As above. As above.

Libraries

Social/health/

education services Y

The Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the banking sector work with the Home Office to

identify illegal migrants and issue notices of revocation of driving licences or refusals of banking

services, including information about the basis for revocation, the need to return and contact details

for the Central Voluntary Departures Service.

There are 18 Home Office Immigration Compliance and Enforcement local partnership managers

who liaise with and train National Health Service (NHS) and local authority staff in voluntary

departures options and provide Home Office and ‘Choices’ leaflets to be distributed to illegal

migrants encountered.

DVLA and the banking sector action

is set out in legislation. Other

interventions are arranged through

inter-departmental agreement to

contribute to UK Government aims

to intensify the hostile environment

for illegal migrants and so

encourage return.

Caseworkers Y

Caseworkers employed by the Home Office and by Home Office delivery partners are guided and

trained in how to provide information to and refer illegal migrants with whom they have contact to

the different voluntary departure options.

‘Choices’ caseworkers provide detailed information on AVR to migrants who contact them by

phone.

Capita Central Voluntary Departures and Contact Management staff advise migrants who contact

them by phone of the voluntary departure process.

FRS caseworkers provide information on FRS to FNOs through immigration surgeries, forums and

community events. They also advise FNOs who contact them by phone about the FRS application

process and the reintegration help that they are likely to receive.

According to contracts/grant

agreements, work objectives.

Legal advisers N

The Home Office has a GOV.UK webpage providing information about regulated immigration

advisers. These might be able to provide information about voluntary return.

Not government funded.


Ombudsman/ Citizens

Advice Bureaus Y

Citizens Advice Bureaus (CABs) – provide immigration advice on request

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/law_e/law_immigration_e/help_with_immigration_problems.htm CAB receives government funding

(Advisory services of)

trades unions/

employer associations

N Not government funded.

Embassies (third-

country and EU) Y

Other government diplomatic missions and embassies provide, on a voluntary basis, details of AVR

to individuals if approached. This is usually in respect of vulnerable cases. They have also hosted

diaspora events that include the promotion of AVR.

Voluntary role

Shopkeepers/

Internet cafe

workers/etc.

Y ‘Choices’ outreach activities include engagement with migrants at shops, restaurants, internet cafes,

money transfer offices, etc. (community locations used by migrants). Voluntary role

Other actors (specify)

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/law_e/law_immigration_e/help_with_immigration_problems.htm


3.2 Tools used to disseminate information on (voluntary) return to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities

Q13. Provide information on the tools through which information on (voluntary) return is made available in your Member State.




Table 2. Tools used in the Member State for disseminating information on (voluntary) return

Y/N

Description (please be brief, using bullet points)

including whether this is a current, past or

future tool

Actor(s)

designing/funding

Actor(s)

managing/

delivering

Link to further information

Leaflets/ brochures Y

Choices: Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) leaflets –

available in 18 languages – designed to provide

potential applicants with key information about

AVR; these can be ordered free via the ‘Choices’

website and are available at reporting centres

(current).

Choices funded by Home

Office Choices

http://www.choices-

avr.org.uk/resources

Leaflets designed to provide information about

how to make a voluntary departure for Home

Office staff and other stakeholders coming into

contact with migrants (current).

Home Office Home Office

Home Office: leaflets providing information about

voluntary departure to migrants (current).


Home Office Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS):

leaflets in 18 languages are available in prisons,

immigration removals centres and reporting

centres (current).


National Offender Management Service in

conjunction with Praxis: Home Coming information

guides in English and other key languages;

targeting offenders (current).

National Offender

Management Service Praxis (an NGO)

http://www.choices-avr.org.uk/resources



Poster campaigns Y

Choices: AVR posters – available in 18 languages

– designed to encourage migrants thinking of

return to contact ‘Choices’; English language

versions of these are displayed in most reporting

centres (current).


Office

Choices

http://www.choices-

avr.org.uk/resources

Home Office: displays of posters promoting

voluntary departure in reporting centres (current).


Home Office FRS: posters in 18 languages are

available in prisons, immigration removals centres

and reporting centres (current).


Media campaigns Y

Choices: regular advertisements are placed in

nationality specific newspapers including Janomot,

Asian Leader, Bangla Times, Des Pardes and UK

Chinese journal (current).


Office

Choices

Home Office: Immigration Enforcement

Community Engagement raise awareness of

voluntary departure through diaspora community

television, radio and newspapers (current).


Websites

Y

UK Government website: GOV.UK is a

public facing website providing

information on activities of all UK

government departments (current).

AVR: once on the GOV.UK website, using

the search term ‘voluntary return’ will take

GOV.UK is

managed by the

UK Government

https://www.gov.uk/government/coll

ections/returning-to-your-country-

assisted-voluntary-return-

programmes



https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/returning-to-your-country-assisted-voluntary-return-programmes





the user to a page (see link) from which

they can access documents containing

information about AVR (current).

Information on voluntary departure:

once on the GOV.UK website, using the

search term ‘return home’ will take the

user to a (recently launched) page that

advises on voluntary departure and

provides contact details for the Central

Voluntary Departures Service (current).

Interventions and sanctions: the GOV.UK

page at the link opposite provides

guidance on what to do in the cases that

a bank account has been refused on

immigration status grounds. This includes

embedded links to advice on voluntary

departure and contact details for Central

Voluntary Departures Service helpline

(current).

https://www.gov.uk/return-home-

voluntarily

https://www.gov.uk/government/pub

lications/current-account-refused-

based-on-immigration-status

‘Tracks’: an external website. This toolkit is

designed to help foreign national prisoners to plan

for their resettlement upon release (current).

National Offender

Management Service

funded

Praxis (an NGO) http://www.tracks.uk.net/

‘Choices’: this web page gives detailed

information – designed for migrants - about the

whole AVR process in 18 languages (current).

Refugee Action –

‘Choices’/funded by the

Home Office (with EU co-

funding)

‘Choices’ http://www.choices-avr.org.uk/

‘Migrant Help’ (UK Charity providing free

independent advice to asylum seekers) (current).

‘Migrant Help’ is funded by

the Home Office to provide

the ‘Asylum help’ web page

and helpline.

‘Migrant Help’ http://asylumhelpuk.org/

https://www.gov.uk/return-home-voluntarily


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-account-refused-based-on-immigration-status



http://www.tracks.uk.net/

http://www.choices-avr.org.uk/

http://asylumhelpuk.org/


Dedicated social

media pages (e.g.

Facebook page for

returnees or for

diaspora groups)

Y

No official Home Office social media pages for

returnees or diaspora groups.

Choices: Ethnocast, Facebook, Diversely digital,

Quantcast, Netbirds (current).

‘Choices’ funded by Home

Office

‘Choices’

Online discussion

forums N

Helplines/info lines Y

Home Office: public enquiry line (English only)

(current). Home Office Home Office

https://www.gov.uk/government/org

anisations/home-office

‘Choices’: AVR helpline (many key migrant

languages) (current).


Office

‘Choices’


Central Voluntary Departures Service: helpline

(English) (current).

Capita/funded by the Home

Office

Capita/Home

Office

https://www.gov.uk/return-home-

voluntarily

Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS): hotline


‘Asylum Help’: helpline (current). ‘Migrant Help’ ‘Migrant Help’ http://asylumhelpuk.org/

Drop-in clinic

(face-to-face) Y

Home Office Immigration Enforcement

Community Engagement teams: deliver surgeries

in community settings (e.g. religious meeting

places) likely to be frequented by migrants illegally

present in the UK; also work closely with local

authority and charity outreach staff to promote

voluntary departure to ‘rough sleepers’19 (current).


‘Choices’ and its UK delivery partners operate ‘Choices’ funded by the ‘Choices’

19 ‘Rough sleepers’ are people found to be sleeping on the street.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office




http://asylumhelpuk.org/


‘drop-in’ services at their offices (current).

Until April 2014, ‘Choices’ ran AVR surgeries in

detention centres (historic).

Home Office

FRS is promoted at immigration surgeries


Community visits Y

Home Office Immigration Enforcement

Community Engagement teams: liaise with

diverse community groups (both migrant and the

wider local community) (current).


‘Choices’ conduct outreach visits to community

settings where migrants illegally present in the UK

are likely to be (current).

‘Choices’ funded by the

Home Office ‘Choices’

Other tools Y

Home Office Immigration Enforcement:

notices/letters of refusals of leave to remain

(current).

Capita Contact Management:

Capita agents encountering individuals who wish

to leave will explain the options for voluntary and

AVR.

Home Office Intervention and Sanctions: notices

of termination of access to UK benefits/services,

etc., e.g. revocation of driving licence; refusal of

provision of bank account (current).

‘Choices’ DVD with stories of return: this is playing

in the waiting room of most reporting centres on

a cycle of various languages with subtitles (but not

audio).

Home Office

Home Office/other

government departments

and bodies


Office

Home Office

Home Office/ other

government

departments and

bodies

‘Choices’


3.3 Specific campaigns and strategies

Q14. Did any of the tools listed in Q13 above form part of a specific strategy or campaign implemented in your Member State to better disseminate information on (voluntary) return? If yes, please state:

a) the actor(s) behind the campaign – specifically whether it was led by a state authority or a non-state authority;

b) the name of the strategy/campaign; c) the date it was launched and its duration; d) the rationale for its launch; e) the specific objectives/aims; f) any target groups; g) its components (e.g. website, poster campaign and hotline); h) the actors involved; i) any specific results (e.g. in terms of users accessing the information, number of

irregular migrants returned).

‘Choices’ promotion of Assisted Voluntary Return

a) ‘Choices’ is the NGO project delivering the UK AVR programme for the Home Office.

b) ‘Assisted Voluntary Return’ programme

c) The ‘Choices’ project runs from April 2011 to 31 December 2015.

d) AVR is considered a dignified, cost-effective20 alternative to enforced removal for migrants illegally present who wish to depart the UK but need assistance to do so. The UK has operated an AVR programme since 1999. ‘Choices’ replaced the IOM-run UK AVR programme following the retender of the programme in 2010. Home Office evaluations of the AVR scheme indicate that returnees are positive about NGO delivery of AVR, and trust may be a factor in this.21

e) The overall aim of the AVR programme is to provide an alternative to an enforced removal for those who have no legal basis on which to remain in the UK. The AVR programme is designed to achieve a dignified and sustainable return for any individual leaving the UK voluntarily.

20 National Audit Office (2009) Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border Agency. Available at: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/0809124.pdf

21 See Home Office (2010) The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2008: a process and impact assessment (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116049/horr41-report.pdf); The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2006: a process and impact assessment (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116054/horr39-report.pdf); The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2005: a process and impact assessment (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116058/horr38-report.pdf; and The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2004 and 2004 extension: monitoring report (available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128103514/http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr30c.pdf).

http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/0809124.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116049/horr41-report.pdf



http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128103514/http:/rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr30c.pdf


f) The UK AVR programme currently comprises three separate schemes: AVR for families and children under 18 (AVRFC), whether (failed) asylum seekers or non-asylum illegal migrants; the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) for (failed) asylum seekers; and AVR for non-asylum irregular (illegal) migrants (AVRIM). The highest level of support is offered to the most vulnerable migrants (families and children, those meeting Home Office/EU vulnerability criteria, and [failed] asylum seekers). Until April 2014 detained migrants were eligible for AVR.

g) Details of the components of ‘Choices’ communication strategy are provided in response to Q12 and Q13 (Tables 1 and 2).

h) Asylum-seeking migrants will be informed of AVR by Home Office asylum caseworkers. Non-asylum migrant families who are illegally present in the UK and in contact with the Home Office Family Returns Unit will similarly be informed of this option. Illegally present migrants identified by the Home Office as ‘potential victims of trafficking’ will also be advised of AVR. In other cases, while illegally present migrants coming into contact with the Home Office will receive some information about voluntary return this may not be specifically about AVR. If resources permit, HO staff may discuss AVR with individual migrants on an ad hoc basis, but in most cases individuals are directed to contact ‘Choices’ for further information and to discuss their situation in confidence. Migrants identified as illegally present in the UK are also referred to ‘Choices’ by a diverse range of contacts, e.g. NHS staff, the police, local authority staff, community groups, faith groups, friends and family.

i) Home Office Immigration Statistics22 show that over the AVR programme year April 2013 to March 2014 there were 4,260 people returned through AVR. Home Office Immigration Statistics also show that, over the same period, while asylum cases formed a minority (19% of 45,099) of total enforced removals and voluntary departures, they accounted for two-thirds of AVR cases (68% of 4,260). The preponderance of asylum cases among AVR returns might reflect the greater awareness/promotion of AVR to asylum migrants (who may have greater contact with the Home Office than non-asylum illegal migrants) and the attractiveness of the more generous assistance available to these migrants than to non-vulnerable, non-asylum illegal migrants.

Central Voluntary Departures Service

a) Private sector organisation, ‘Capita plc’, under contract to the Home Office.

b) Central Voluntary Departures Service.

c) Launched in March 2014 (ongoing).

d) To provide one efficient (cost saving), dedicated, centralised point of contact for voluntary departures.

e) Aims:

22 Source: Home Office Immigration Statistics, January to March 2015: Removals Table rv_01_q. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015#removals-and-voluntary-departures

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015#removals-and-voluntary-departures

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015#removals-and-voluntary-departures


to provide a central point of contact for all migrants illegally present in the UK who wish to leave the UK voluntarily;

to increase compliance with return decisions and reduce net migration; to manage the time between initial contact and departure (to reduce abuse); to reduce the number of failed departures; to reduce the overall cost of voluntary departures; to minimise the cost of tickets funded by the state; to collect management information to inform the Home Office about migrants’ reasons for choosing to leave voluntarily.

f) The target is any migrant illegally present in the UK but, in particular, those non-asylum migrants who it is feasible to return quickly and with limited support. Home Office training material suggests signposting to AVR for asylum migrants; families, and other vulnerable groups; and to the Home Office Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) for Foreign National Offenders (FNOs). Family cases may also be referred to the Family Returns Unit, which will discuss return options.

g) Typically migrants will not receive any assistance for their return through the Central Voluntary Departures Service. If needed migrants may, however, be assisted by the Home Office to obtain travel documents and pay for flights.

Information about the service, including the helpline number, is available on a Home Office web page. The helpline number is also included in immigration decision refusal notices, leaflets and posters, and letters relating to withdrawal or refusal of access to benefits and services.

h) In addition to referral resulting from the passive means described at point g, referrals can be made directly to the service by Immigration Enforcement staff if on encounter with the illegal migrant this appears the best course of action. Capita logs notifications of intent to leave voluntarily and operates a casework system to monitor and contact migrants until the point of departure.

i) The Central Voluntary Departures Service was launched in March 2014. Home Office Immigration Statistics indicate a rise of 22 per cent in the number of notified voluntary departures over the period April to December 2014 compared with the same period in 2013 (8,030 compared with 6,587).23

Capita Contact Management

a) Service delivered by private sector organisation, ‘Capita plc’, under contract to the Home Office.

b) Contact Management Service.

c) October 2012 to October 2016.

23 Home Office Immigration Statistics. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014#removals-and-voluntary-departures-1

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014#removals-and-voluntary-departures-1

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2014#removals-and-voluntary-departures-1


d) To benefit from the large-scale contact management experience and infrastructure Capita could bring to encouraging the voluntary return of migrants without a legal right to remain in the UK.

e) To increase the voluntary return of migrants without a legal right to remain in the UK through a process of sustained, systematic contact and messaging.

f) Individuals identified from Home Office records as having received a negative immigration decision, having no current right to be in the UK, and with no evidence of departure from the UK. These are migrants included in the Migration Refusal Pool.24

g) Targets migrants are contacted by letter, email, texting service and telephone contact. Messaging covers both the benefits of voluntarily departing, with regards to future immigration applications, and the negative consequences of continuing to stay in the UK without permission. Capita agents also direct individuals, who state a desire to leave the UK but do not have adequate funding to do so, to the ‘Choices’ AVR programme and explain what other benefits accessing the scheme will bring, e.g. assistance with reintegration. Capita then monitors individuals through the departures process to ensure that they are correctly recorded as having gone.

h) The Home Office provides case details to ‘Capita’.

i) Capita has added value to the Home Office Immigration Enforcement operation by bringing experience and infrastructure for delivering large-scale contact management in respect of individuals who no longer have a right to be in the UK. Promotion and persuasion to depart voluntarily has been delivered to a larger volume of individuals in a shorter space of time, compared with any in-house contact management scheme. Capita is incentivised, through a graded payment structure, to encourage departure for the cases it handles.

Facilitated Returns Scheme

a) The Home Office.

b) Facilitated Returns Scheme.

c) Since 2006 (ongoing).

d) Encouraging the voluntary return of FNOs25 saves on detention costs and provides a cost-effective approach to delivering enforcement objectives.

e) To encourage (early) voluntary return and provide reintegration assistance to non-European Economic Area (EEA) FNOs.

f) FNOs who have received a custodial sentence of up to four years. These may still be serving, or may have completed, their sentence. Assistance is higher for those who return while they are still serving their sentence.

24 See footnote 10. 25

A foreign national offender (FNO) is someone who (a) is not a British citizen, and (b) is/has been remanded in custody, and

convicted and given a custodial sentence in the UK for any offence. An FNO can be convicted and have served their sentence while on remand, so would not necessarily have been sent to prison.


g) FNOs are advised of the availability of the scheme through diverse methods (as set out in response to Q12 and Q13).

h) The Home Office delivers FRS in the UK. Post-return reintegration support is delivered by IOM.

i) Over the 2014 calendar year, 1,004 FNOs were returned under FRS. This is equivalent to 20 per cent of the total 5,022 FNOs removed.26

Two UK Returns and Reintegration Fund projects include dissemination of information about voluntary return as an objective.

1) Immigration Enforcement Community Engagement – outreach project with Sikh/Punjabi communities

a) The Home Office Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) Community Engagement team (with funding from the UK government Returns and Reintegration Fund).

b) Community outreach with Sikh/Punjabi communities.

c) Launched in October 2013 – ongoing.

d) Part of a new strategic approach to dealing more efficiently and effectively with the illegally present migrant population: this uses immigration enforcement resource to focus on voluntary return promotion as well as detention and enforced removal; and provides a mechanism to enable engagement and communication about AVR with otherwise hard to reach eligible migrants.

e) To increase awareness and uptake of voluntary return among migrants illegally present in the UK and not in contact with the authorities.

f) Any illegal migrant in the target community – but expecting that asylum migrants will already tend to know about AVR.

g) Relationship and trust building with community groups leading to assistance with dissemination of information about the benefits of voluntary departure and opportunities to speak to communities and run outreach surgeries on their premises. Free phone helpline staffed seven days a week. Help with obtaining travel documents and contacting family/friends in the return country. May provide flights and other assistance for vulnerable people where the absence of such support is a barrier to return. UK-wide media campaign via Asian/Sikh/Punjabi television channels, radio and newspapers.

26 Source and notes:

(1): Total FNO removal figure for year to December 2014 is derived from the sum of quarterly figures released in the Home Office publication Immigration Statistics as National Statistics. The release is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015 (2) This includes FNOs who have been deported, administratively removed or voluntarily departed from UK under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS). The number of FNOs returned under FRS is not published as National Statistics but has been released in transparency data as Home Office management information. The latest quarterly transparency release can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=uk-visas-and-immigration&publication_type=transparency-data (3) Both figures (1) and (2) are provisional and subject to change. Revised 2014 FNO removals data are scheduled to be published on 27 August 2015.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=uk-visas-and-immigration&publication_type=transparency-data

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=uk-visas-and-immigration&publication_type=transparency-data


h) Immigration Enforcement Community Engagement team staff and local community organisations.

i) Qualitative assessment of the project has also been positive. Home Office staff suggested key success factors to be: good communication/sales skills; building rapport and trust with community heads; staff have relevant foreign language skills; providing a reliable ‘surgery’ service (delivering to an agreed timetable); adequate resource to enable time to be spent on outreach; intelligence gathering to support implementation in areas with a high density of the target population; proximity to consulates and embassies helps in obtaining documents; and indications that a lot of referrals were through word of mouth.

2) Project providing independent advice to women in detention to encourage uptake of voluntary return

a) Project funded by UK government Returns and Reintegration Fund.

b) Provision of independent advice to women in immigration detention so as to encourage them to accept voluntary return.

c) October 2011 to March 2015.

d) Female detainees may not trust government officials/contractors to provide impartial advice but may be more willing to accept messages from an entirely independent organisation. Increasing compliance with the return process and increased voluntary returns decrease the costs to the Home Office in terms of reduced days in detention and failed removal attempts.

e) To increase frequency and structure of interventions to promote voluntary return with women in immigration removals centres. To provide psychological support to promote self worth and manage any stigma associated with return. To signpost available practical assistance with return. To increase voluntary returns above previous levels. To reduce failed returns.

f) Detained female migrants.

g) Programme of workshops in immigration removals centres.

h) As at point a.

i) While no quantitative results are available, the project was considered successful to the extent that it was used as a model for a similar project targeting men. The men’s project ran from October 2012 to September 2013 at two key immigration removals centres.

Intervention and Sanctions team work

a) The Home Office in partnership with DVLA and the banking sector.

b) Interventions and Sanctions.

c) December 2014, ongoing.


d) Removing incentives to stay in the UK will encourage illegal migrants to leave voluntarily.

e) To increase voluntary departures from the UK.

f) Any migrants illegally present in the UK and having been in contact with the Home Office and issued notices of the need to depart the UK (including absconders).

g) Notices of revocation of driving licences or refusal of access to banking services, including messages about the basis of this, the need to return, and details of how to contact the Central Voluntary Departures Service.

h) As at point a.

i) No specific results can be provided at present. The application of sanctions is recorded on Home Office casework systems so that associations with returns can be monitored.

Voluntary Departure Strategy

a) The Home Office Immigration Enforcement Strategy team.

b) Voluntary Departure Strategy.

c) February 2015, ongoing.

d) A strategic approach, co-ordinating relevant activity across Immigration Enforcement and systematically testing new approaches to delivery, could increase voluntary departures.

e) To increase voluntary departures efficiently.

f) Migrants illegally present in the UK.

g) Pilot studies will be used to test new approaches to dissemination of information about voluntary return and to increase compliance.

h) As at point a.

i) No results available.

3.4 Accessibility of the information

Q15. Please consider the accessibility of all information on (voluntary) return disseminated to irregular migrants in the Member State. Please provide information on the following.

a) The language(s) in which the information is provided. b) Visual presentation of the information. c) For posters/leaflets, the location of the information – where were these placed (in

transport hubs, in libraries, in health centres, in areas known to be frequented by irregular migrants, e.g. malls, supermarkets)?


d) For websites/helplines, the extent to which the URL is easy to find through online search engines27and whether there is signposting to the website through other tools.

e) For helplines and drop-in clinics: i. the location of the services (if a drop-in clinic); ii. the opening hours/hours of access; iii. awareness about the service, including where the telephone number/address is

advertised; iv. cost of the service/calling the hotline (or whether free).

f) Confidentiality considerations, i.e. whether the anonymity of the irregular migrant is maintained if they consult an information service (please also specify whether target recipients of the information are made aware of the confidentiality considerations or whether this is simply the internal policy).

g) Other factors that might enhance/reduce accessibility. Home Office sources (including the ‘Capita’ Central Voluntary Departures Service)

a) Home Office teams and Capita use English for oral communication but can call upon interpretation services if needed for interviews. Written materials such as leaflets and posters are made available in English but also in other key migrant languages (9 languages in the case of Central Voluntary Departures Service information and 18 languages in the case of FRS). Letters informing migrants of the need to leave the UK are written in English.

b) Voluntary return information aimed at migrants on the Home Office GOV.UK web pages is written in clear but formal language and presented in a style consistent with other GOV.UK pages (designed for visual accessibility in terms of font size and use of black and blue type on a white background).

c) Home Office posters and leaflets about voluntary return are displayed in reporting centres. They are also made available to other stakeholders (such as local authorities and NHS service providers in contact with illegally present migrants.)

d) ‘Googling’ the term ‘voluntary return’ resulted in a list of links (with a link to ‘Choices’ first) including two out of the top ten to GOV.UK pages concerning AVR. However neither of these two was the overarching AVR page principally aimed at migrants. ‘Googling’ on more generic terms like: ‘leave the UK’; ‘go home’; ‘return home’ did not generate lists of links that included the Home Office ‘AVR’ or ‘voluntary departures’ pages in the top ten.

From within the GOV.UK website, using the search term ‘voluntary return’ will take the user to the AVR page. Embedded links are provided here to separate pages for each of the three AVR schemes; these in turn lead to documents within which a link to the ‘Choices’ website is embedded and the ‘Choices’ helpline number is provided.

From within the GOV.UK website, using the search term ‘return home’ will take the user to a page that first describes voluntary departure and provides contact details for the Capita ‘Central Voluntary Departures Service’. Information about AVR is also provided on the page but readers are advised to contact the ‘Central Voluntary

27 Member States may wish to draw conclusions about this third bullet point by using a ‘mystery shopper’ method and searching for the information using different search terms.


Departures Team’ to find out which programme (voluntary departure or AVR) is best for them. For this purpose an (Home Office) email address is provided plus the Central Voluntary Departures Service helpline number. (Established through testing on 20 April 2015.)

e) Home Office Immigration Enforcement community drop-in clinics will vary depending on the location. Drop-in clinics are advertised through posters and leaflets in community locations.

The voluntary departures web page states that the helpline operates Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:30. There is a charge for calls to the helpline. The cost can be found through a link on the voluntary departures GOV.UK web page. As at 20 April 2015 the costs were said to be up to approximately 9p per minute from landlines and between 8p and 40p per minute from mobile lines.

The FRS external hotline operates between 9:00 and 17:00 from Monday to Friday.

f) All call handlers and caseworkers delivering the Central Voluntary Departures Service are security cleared. They all use Home Office sanctioned data protection techniques to confirm the identity of clients and to find them on the immigration database. Information is held securely on Home Office computers.

g) The voluntary departures page clearly displays contact information. The AVR page requires the user to select links and ‘drill down’ to pages providing ‘Choices’ contact details. The tone of the AVR and voluntary departure content is slightly different. The AVR page heading is: “Returning to your country: Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes”; “Information to help you return to your country voluntarily”. The headline information on the voluntary departures page is: “Return home voluntarily if you’re in the UK unlawfully”; “You must return to your home country if you’re in the UK unlawfully or your leave has expired”. The contact email address for voluntary departures is a Home Office email address.

‘Choices’

a) ‘Choices’ provides access to information on AVR in up to 18 languages (see responses to Q12 and Q13).

b) ‘Choices’ written information (website/posters/leaflets) is informal in style (colourful, busy and with many images of smiling people). Text emphasises the following: ‘Choices’ is here to help; calls and advice are free; the benefits/assistance on offer; its independence from the Government. It presents a positive picture of return and avoids use of terms like ‘illegal’ or ‘irregular’ or ‘failed’.

c) ‘Choices’ posters and leaflets are displayed in reporting centres and a variety of community locations that attract migrants who might be eligible for AVR. Any interested party can order free copies of the ‘Choices’ materials via the ‘Choices’ website.

d) The first link to appear when ‘voluntary return’ was typed into the Google search engine (in the UK) was that for the Refugee Action ‘Choices’ project (the UK AVR programme). ‘Googling’ for ‘Choices’ resulted in the link to the ‘Choices’ website


appearing sixth. A link to the UK National Health Service website ‘NHS Choices’ appeared first. ‘Googling’ on more generic terms like: ‘leave the UK’; ‘go home’; ‘return home’ did not generate lists of links that included ‘Choices’ in the top ten. The Home Office AVR webpage on GOV.UK also signposts to ‘Choices’. (Established through testing on 20 April 2015.)

e) The ‘Choices’ helpline is open from Monday to Friday (9:00 to 17:00). The telephone number is displayed on the ‘Choices’ website and all promotional/information materials. Calls to the helpline from landlines and major mobile phone services are free. The ‘Choices’ website advises that people can ‘drop in’ to the main London office on Mondays between 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00.

f) The ‘Choices’ website explains that personal identifying information will not be shared without permission. Details of those contacting ‘Choices’ to make enquiries are not shared with the authorities (the Home Office) but AVR applicants have to be identified to the Home Office so that eligibility for the scheme can be checked. Applicants are advised that the authorities in the country of return will not be made aware that an individual is returning under AVR by ‘Choices’ or by the ‘Home Office’.

g) ‘Choices’ is a project of ‘Refugee Action’, a high profile UK voluntary sector organisation supporting asylum migrants and as such may be known to and trusted by potential AVR applicants.

3.5 Content of the information

Q16. What is the content of the information made available in Member States. Specifically, where can irregular migrants go to find information on different aspects of voluntary return?



Table 3. Content of the information disseminated to irregular migrants by Member States

National authorities

responsible for return

Organisations with an

official role in

implementing and/or

promoting AVRR

programmes

Diaspora groups,

faith-based groups,

migrant-led groups,

other community

groups

Caseworkers Legal advisers Other (please

specify)

The legal obligations of the

returnee (i.e. their status,

their obligation to return

and how they can ensure

compliance with return

decisions)

Yes.

In written

communications

notifying migrants of

changes in their

status/immigration

decisions.

On the Home Office

voluntary departure web

page

During ad hoc media

campaigns via posters,

leaflets, newspaper

adverts.

No.

(Though this is likely to

form part of the

discussion between

‘Choices’ and AVR

applicants about their

circumstances and options

open to them.)

Not known. Yes.

Home Office

caseworkers, in written

notices and in

telephone/face-to-face

contact where this

occurs.

Not known but it

is likely that this

would be the

case.

Yes.

Capita – the

organisation

operating the

Central Voluntary

Departures

Service and the

Contact

Management

Service will

discuss this with

callers.

Information on AVRR

programmes available in

the Member State

Yes.

Home Office web

pages.

Yes.

‘Choices’ – through its

website; helpline;

leaflets; posters; drop in;

outreach.

‘Praxis’ – through its

Home Coming

information guides.

‘FRS’ – through its

hotline; leaflets; posters;

surgeries and forums.

Yes.

Based on

information from the

Home Office and

‘Choices’.

Yes.

Home Office – as

above.

‘Choices’ – AVR

casework

‘FRS’ – casework.

As above.


Information on eligibility

conditions for AVRR

programmes

Yes.

Home Office web pages.

Yes.


website; helpline;

leaflets; posters; drop

in; outreach.

‘Praxis’ through its

Home Coming

information guides.

FRS – through its

hotline; leaflets; posters;

surgeries and forums.

Yes.

Based on information

from the Home Office

and ‘Choices’.

Yes.

Home Office and

‘Choices’ as above.

As above.

Where the irregular migrant

should go for more

information (signposting)

Yes.


Yes.


website; helpline;

leaflets; posters; drop

in; outreach.

Praxis through its Home

Coming information

guides.

‘FRS’ though its hotline

and Immigration

Officials.

Yes.


from the Home Office

and ‘Choices’.

Yes.

Home Office and

‘Choices’ as above.

As above.

Other voluntary return

options (i.e. options for

voluntary return without

assistance)

Yes.


Yes.

‘Choices’ may do this

when discussing options

with individual migrants.

Praxis through its Home

Coming information

guides.

FRS through

Immigration Staff when

discussing options with

Foreign National

Offenders.

Yes.


from the Home Office.

Yes.

Home Office in

particular (as above).

As above. Yes – ‘Capita’ will

explain the

Voluntary

Departure process

to individuals

calling its

helpline.


What the irregular migrant

can expect at the airport on

returning

No. Yes.

‘Choices’ materials and

staff.

Perhaps – based on

‘Choices’ information.

Yes.

‘Choices’ caseworkers

(though the Home

Office may be able to

do so on an ad hoc

basis subject to

resource based on

‘Choices’ information).

Perhaps – based

on ‘Choices’

information.

Yes – ‘Capita’ can

explain the

process for

Voluntary

Departure to

callers to its

helpline.

What the irregular migrant

can expect in the country of

return (e.g. registration with

third-country authorities

labour market access,

housing)

No. Yes.

‘Choices’ materials and

staff.

FRS – Foreign National

Offenders are signposted

via the IOM.



Yes.


(though the Home


do so on an ad hoc

basis subject to

resource based on


Perhaps – based

on ‘Choices’

information.

Not

applicable to

the Central

Voluntary

Departures

Service.

Some

reintegration

only projects

include

provision of

pre-departure

information

to specific

groups of

returnees via

written

information

and/or

casework.

Individually tailored

information28

No. Yes.

‘Choices’ employs an

individual caseworking

approach in its direct

contacts and the website

provides country specific



Yes.


(though the Home


do so on an ad hoc

basis subject to

Perhaps – based

on ‘Choices’

information.

Yes – ‘Capita’

helpline advisers

will check

individual

circumstances of

people enquiring

28 Note that tailored information is most likely to be available through helplines and drop-in clinics, although it may be possible to tailor information to some extent through online services.


and AVR scheme specific

information.

FRS – each case is dealt

with on its merits and

information on return is

provided by the case

owner and the IOM on

return.

resource based on


about Voluntary

Departure and

may signpost to

other returns

processes.

Other information


3.6 Targeting of the information

Q17. Please specify which (if any) of the approaches described in Q13 – Q16 above have been used specifically to target irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities. What was the rationale for using this approach to target this particular group?

AVR: Ability of an NGO to gain access to and trust of migrants illegally present in the UK who are not in contact with the authorities; website and free helpline make information accessible in an anonymous fashion.

Home Office web pages for AVR and voluntary departure, Capita helpline and external FRS hotline: Provide access to information about voluntary return options while enabling migrants to hide their identity.

Intervention and Sanctions activities: Training and information about voluntary return is provided to stakeholders, such as local authorities and the NHS, which may come into contact with illegal migrants not in contact with the authorities and who are struggling with destitution or ill health and so may be open to the idea of voluntary return.

Community outreach by Immigration Enforcement teams: Delivery of immigration surgeries in trusted locations, with the support of community leaders and without the threat of immediate arrest, facilitates access to and relationship building with illegal migrants otherwise not in contact with the Home Office.

Q18. Do any of the approaches described in Q13 – Q16 above target any other groups (e.g. specific types of irregular migrant, vulnerable groups, failed asylum applicants, particular nationalities)? If so, please describe below through what methods/approaches they target these groups, and also discuss the rationale for targeting these particular groups.

As set out in responses at Q14 f.


4. Case studies on information provision to irregular migrants with whom the authorities do not have contact

Q19. Cross-referring to the approaches outlined in section 4, please describe in further detail at least TWO practices, projects or approaches employed in your Member State since 2010 to disseminate information on (voluntary) return:

one practice/project/approach that has proven particularly effective in reaching out to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities; and

one practice/project/approach that has not been (very) effective in reaching out to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities.

Please provide your rationale for describing these as successful/less successful. In doing so, please provide any indications/evidence or counter-evidence of the following.

a) The effectiveness of the practice/approach in increasing awareness amongst irregular migrants who are not in contact with the authorities about their options regarding voluntary return and/or in providing such migrants with a comprehensive understanding of their options so as to be able to make a balanced, well-informed decision about voluntary return.

b) Specific challenges associated with the approach to disseminating information implemented by the national authorities directly in raising awareness of irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities.

c) Factors that made the approach a successful/not-so-successful tool for disseminating information on (voluntary) return to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities.

The UK is providing case studies of two projects considered reasonably successful but will indicate the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used.

Case study 1: The UK Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme

This programme was outlined in response to Q14. Additional information is provided below.

a) Evidence of effectiveness with migrants not in contact with the authorities: The effectiveness of AVR in reaching migrants not in contact with the authorities has not been quantitatively established. However, among 32 returnees to Pakistan interviewed for the Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2008 evaluation,29 9

29 Home Office (2010) The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2008: a process and impact assessment. This is the latest


of the 18 people who had not been in immigration detention at the time they applied for VARRP said that they had learned of the scheme through community sources. This finding echoes that of a previous VARRP evaluation,30 where ‘word of mouth’ (community channels/family/friends) was an important source of information about AVR and suggests that the AVR communication strategy does reach migrants not in contact with the authorities. Returnees interviewed for the VARRP 2008 evaluation were overwhelmingly positive about contact with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) staff; all but 1 out of 45 were satisfied with the level of information and support provided at the application stage and many emphasised that entitlements and processes were clearly explained.

b) Specific challenges: AVR has been delivered by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under grant agreement rather than contract. This limits the specificity of direction concerning communication approaches that the Home Office can give. Data that would enable more effective evaluation of the impacts of different communication activities on stimulating applications from illegally present migrants not in contact with the authorities are not currently collected.

c) Factors making it successful/not so successful: IOM staff interviewed for the VARRP 2008 evaluation reported that their marketing strategy was informed by diaspora mapping to identify the best ways to communicate with different ethnic groups. Video conferencing between VARRP returnees and potential returnees in the UK was considered by IOM to be an effective form of marketing. IOM staff interviewed considered that face-to-face contact with applicants was preferable but that the same level of service could be offered whatever the mode of contact. Independence of the UK AVR programme delivery from the Home Office has been emphasised through use of NGO delivery partner, rather than Home Office, branding of promotional materials.

Case study 2: Immigration Enforcement Community Engagement – outreach project with Sikh/Punjabi communities

This project was outlined in response to Q14. Additional information is provided below.

a) Evidence of effectiveness with migrants not in contact with the authorities: This has not been quantitatively evidenced as yet.

b) Specific challenges: Identifying and working with community organisations to build and maintain relationships to facilitate outreach requires intelligence gathering, good communication skills and time.

c) Factors making it successful/not so successful: Concentrations of specific diaspora communities in a geographic area make the approach efficient. Good relationships and partnership working is key.

published evaluation of UK AVR. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116049/horr41-report.pdf

30 Home Office (2010) The Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) 2006: a process and impact assessment. Available at: thttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116054/horr39-report.pdf




5. Effectiveness of different approaches to disseminating information on (voluntary) return

5.1 Indications/evidence from the testimonies of irregular migrants and returnees

Q20. Does your Member State collect any (monitoring and/or evaluation) information from those returning voluntarily (e.g. at airports, when participating in assisted voluntary return (AVR) programmes, after they have returned) about the information they received prior to return and/or how useful they found this information (yes/no)? If yes, please describe:

a) who collects/ed the data;

b) who the data are/were collected from (e.g. those participating in AVR, those returning to specific countries);

c) the situation in which the data are/were collected (e.g. on return, on considering return, at the airport);

d) the method used (e.g. survey, interviews);

e) the date/frequency of the data collection (e.g. is this done monthly, annually, or was it part of a one-off project); and

f) any caveats as to the quality of the data.31

UK Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programme evaluation research

a) The UK Home Office; this has been undertaken by Home Office social researchers and their appointed external research contractors.

b) and c) Information has been gathered on each occasion from people who have returned through AVR programmes, and from AVR delivery partners. It has, varyingly, also been collected from people still in the UK eligible for AVR but who may or may not have applied, people who have applied for AVR and then dropped out of the scheme, and also with people eligible for but having returned without AVR.

31 For example, for migrants returning through AVR programmes, where surveys are conducted before the AVR programme is complete (e.g. at airports) it may affect the responses received as returnees might feel pressured into providing a positive response even where they have a negative perception of the information provided.


d) Information has been gathered through semi-structured interviews (face-to-face or by telephone).

e) This research has been conducted on an almost annual basis since 2002.

f) Systematic and/or random sampling of AVR returnees for interview has been attempted but non-AVR returnees are typically non-random samples, e.g. identified through snowballing. Studies have typically focused on a small number of return countries. Follow-up has only been possible for AVR returnees in contact with delivery partners after return; those who do not make contact may be different in important ways. Achieved sample sizes tend to be small relative to the absolute number of AVR returns. Both the AVR programme and the wider migration context change over time. Similarly, research interview questions have changed. These factors may limit the ability to generalise findings gathered in any one study. Triangulation of findings across studies, however, indicates some commonality.

UK Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) monitoring data

a) Gathered by the Home Office’s non-governmental organisation (NGO) delivery partner.

b) and c) Collected from applicants for AVR when they contact the NGO delivery partner.

d) During face-to-face or telephone caseworking.

e) Collected from each AVR applicant during the application process.

f) It records one source per applicant and so may not capture the influence of different information sources. It does not capture feedback on migrants’ response to different information sources.

Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) evaluation

a) The UK Home Office; this has been undertaken by Home Office social researchers and their appointed external research contractors as part of the evaluation for reporting to the EU Return Fund.

b) c) and d) Information was gathered through interviews with Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) returnees in 2010. This included information about the application process and factors encouraging take up.

e) This was a ‘one-off’ project.

f) Random sampling of FRS returnees was not possible; the number of return countries was restricted. The FRS scheme has changed since the research was conducted.

Central Voluntary Departures Service monitoring data

a) Gathered by the Home Office private sector delivery partner ‘Capita’.

b) and c) Collected from people contacting the Central Voluntary Departures Service to enquire about voluntary departure.


c) During telephone caseworking interviews.

d) and e) Collected from each person contacting the service to enquire about voluntary departure.

f) The service was introduced in March 2014. Data capture on referral sources has been under development with an improved data capture system implemented in April 2015.

The Home Office is piloting a number of new techniques for encouraging voluntary return (e.g. messages within letters regarding ineligibility for bank accounts or driving licences) and will be gathering monitoring data to assist in evaluating these.

Q21. If the above-mentioned information is available, please present the results, in particular any information on the following.

a) The most common tool through which the returnee accessed information (e.g. through friends, the Internet, a leaflet).

b) The extent to which they understood the information (e.g. was it presented in a user-friendly format, was it in their own language)?

c) The extent to which the information was comprehensive. Did they have to seek further information elsewhere and if so, why?

d) The extent to which they trusted the information and whether there was anything about the way in which the information was provided that acted as an obstacle to them trusting it.

e) The timing of the information provision and whether it would have been of any use if the information had been provided at an earlier stage.

f) Whether the information influenced their decision to return home or not.

Assisted Voluntary Return – monitoring and evaluation data: see responses to Q14 and Q19 above. Additionally:

Regarding point b., Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) returnees valued access to information in their own language. Among the 45 VARRP returnees to Pakistan interviewed for the VARRP 2008 evaluation,32 many were reported to have limited English language skills; 2 respondents experienced difficulties completing an application because no one speaking their language was available to assist.

Regarding point d, VARRP 2008 evaluation interviewees commented on the friendly and respectful way that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) staff had treated them.

32 See footnote 29.


Regarding points e and f, 13 out of 27 VARRP 2008 returnees to Pakistan interviewed said that they would have applied for VARRP sooner had they known about the programme. So, ensuring that migrants know about AVR as soon as their status becomes irregular might result in earlier AVR departure.

5.2 Other indications / evidence of effectiveness

Please only include new information here.

Q22. Are there any other indications/evidence available of the effectiveness of the different practices/approaches described in section 4 at increasing awareness amongst irregular migrants who are not in contact with the authorities about their options regarding voluntary return and/or at providing such migrants with a comprehensive understanding of their options so as to be able to make a balanced, well-informed decision about voluntary return.

No further information to add.

Q23. Please also describe any factors that make these approaches successful/not-so-successful tools for disseminating information on (voluntary) return to irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities.

See response to Q25.

Q24. Please describe any specific challenges associated with the approach to disseminating information implemented by the national authorities directly in raising awareness of irregular migrants not in contact with the authorities.

See response to Q5.

5.3 Lessons learnt

Q25. Are there any lessons to be extracted (by Member States completing this Common Template) from the findings presented above that could be taken on board by other Member States?

Please consider both lessons about what went well and what went less well, as well as lessons about how the practice/project/approach could be improved in the future.

Maintaining contact with migrants issued with a negative immigration decision and ensuring that they are advised about the implications of the decision and voluntary returns options available can be effective in promoting voluntary return.

Asylum route migrants – having more contact with the authorities than non-asylum migrants – are likely to be better informed about voluntary return.

Informal sources of information – word-of-mouth/friends/family – are important for migrants, particularly those with little direct contact with the authorities.


Provision of information in key migrant languages is good practice.

Dissemination of information through community settings increases the likelihood of contact with migrants otherwise not in contact with the authorities.

Relationships and trust are important; a (face-to-face/telephone) caseworking approach may be resource intensive but gives more possibility of building trust and of being able to tailor information to the individual’s needs.

Low-key dissemination exercises using leaflets, posters, and adverts in local media to alert migrants to immigration surgeries in trusted community settings or the provision of a helpline number (without threat of arrest) may be cost-effective means of prompting voluntary return.

Access to more data about migrants’ responses to dissemination activities (gathered through project monitoring information and from Home Office case files or through primary research) could enhance tailoring of approaches.


Annex 1: National statistics on return and number of irregular

third-country nationals

Table A.1.a: National statistics on the number of third-country nationals returning, by year and by type

Year

source33 Method used to reach the estimates, as well as

any caveats as to their likely accuracy 2010

(total)

2011

(total)

2012

(total)

2013

(total)

2014

(total)

a. Third-country nationals returning by physical

transportation out of the Member State, on the

basis of a return decision (forced return) 34

12,649 12,666 11,994 10,066 8,963

Subset of data published in

Column D for Eurostat table

“EIL Y3 RET”.

Enforced removal is where it has been

established that a person has breached UK

immigration laws and has no valid leave to

remain within the UK. The Home Office enforces

their departure to ensure that they leave the UK.

Dublin II individuals removed under Article 4.4

have been excluded from the statistics provided

in regard to Article 7.1.b. Multiple notices issued

to the same person within a year are not

counted. Currently (April 2015) it has not been

possible to quality assure this information under

National Statistics protocols. Port figures have

not been included in the table. Data include main

applicants and dependants, each counted

individually. Data differ from published Home

Office statistics, primarily due to the inclusion of

EU nationals returned within the Home Office

statistics and the exclusion of these individuals

here. The number of EU nationals returned

33 Source: Home Office, subsets of published Eurostat figures. 34 An administrative or judicial decision or act, stating or declaring the stay of a third-country national to be illegal and imposing or stating an obligation to return.


increased year-on-year during this period (from

approximately 1,000 in 2010 to approximately

3,000 by 2014).

b. Number of third-country nationals returning

voluntarily within the time limit fixed for that

purpose in the return decision35 (voluntary

departure)

26,866 26,209 29,547 31,735

25,815

(p)



‘EIL Y3 RET’.

Voluntary departures include: people who left as

notified voluntary departures (where a person

notifies the Home Office that they have

departed); cases as a result of embarkation

controls or by subsequent data matching on

Home Office systems; and assisted voluntary

returns (AVRs). (AVRs includes data for the

Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration

Programme (VARRP), AVR for families and

children (AVRFC) and AVR for non-asylum

irregular (illegal) migrants (AVRIM). People

leaving under AVR programmes run by Refugee

Action (prior to April 2011, run by the

International Organisation for Migration) may

include some on-entry cases and some cases

where enforcement action had been initiated.





counted. Currently it has not been possible to

quality assure this information under National

Statistics protocols. Port figures have not been

included in the table. Data include main


individually. (p) 2014 data are provisional; a

statistically significant proportion of voluntary

departures are identified via data matching on

Home Office systems, and are usually subject to

upward revision as matching checks are made on

travellers after departure. Data will be revised in

August 2015.

35 In accordance with the provisions of Directive 2008/52/EC (Return Directive) the time limit shall be 30 days. The Republic of Ireland and the UK do not take part in the Directive, are not bound by its rules and therefore may apply different time limits on voluntary departure.


c. Number of irregularly staying third-country

nationals returning via AVR packages (assisted

voluntary return)

4,539 3,119 3,693 4,286 2,403



‘EIL Y3 RET’.

Includes data for VARRP, AVRFC and AVRIM.

People leaving under AVR programmes run by

Refugee Action (prior to April 2011, run by the

International Organisation for Migration) may

include some on-entry cases and some cases

where enforcement action had been initiated.





counted. Currently it has not been possible to

quality assure this information under National

Statistics protocols. Port figures have not been

included in the table. Data include main


individually.

d. Number of irregularly-staying third-country

nationals returning via AVRR packages (assisted

voluntary return and reintegration) – where

different from (c)

As c. As c. As c. As c. As c. As c. As c.

Table A.1.b: National statistics on the number of third-country nationals not in contact with the national authorities, by year and by type of migrant

Year

source Method used to reach the estimates, as well as

any caveats as to their likely accuracy 2010

(total)

2011

(total)

2012

(total)

2013

(total)

2014

(total)

a. Number of irregular migrants who were

previously known to the authorities, but whose

place of residence is no longer known to the

authorities (absconding).

Not available.

b. Number of irregular migrants whose residence on

the territory has never been known to the

authorities (clandestine entry)

Not available.


Annex 2: Description of data-collection methods used

Table A.2: Data-collection methods used

Sources of

information/method Used? (Y/N)

List the sources: for secondary sources, cross-refer to

bibliography36; for primary sources list the stakeholders

involved

Type of information provided (refer to question

numbers/sections if useful)

Evaluations Y

Home Office evaluation of Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR),

and other approaches to dissemination of information on

voluntary return: ‘The Voluntary Assisted Return and

Reintegration programme (VARRP) 2006: a process and impact

assessment’ and ‘The Voluntary Assisted Return and

Reintegration programme (VARRP) 2008: a process and impact

assessment’ (Home Office, 2010).

‘Management of Asylum Applications by the UK Border

Agency’ (National Audit Office, 2009)

‘Evaluation of the New Family Returns process’ (Home Office,

2013)

Q14, Q19, Q21 Information concerning dissemination of

information about AVR including migrants’ perspectives.

Q14 Assessment of AVR cost effectiveness.

Q7 Comment on AVR promotion to vulnerable groups.

Studies N

Other reports Y

UK report ‘Study on Practical Measures for Reducing Irregular

Migration’ (European Migration Network (EMN), 2012).

‘Home Office Immigration Statistics, January to March 2015’

Q1 Estimates of the irregular migrant population and

challenges.

Q3 Categories and circumstances of irregular

migrants/information given regarding return.

Q1, Q22 UK definitions and numbers for different types of

return.

36 Sources are referenced in footnotes to relevant sections of the report (indicated by the question numbers in the table above).


Legislation Y Immigration Act 2014. Q7, Q10 Recent developments likely to influence voluntary

return.

Policy documents Y

Immigration Enforcement Business Plan 2014/15;

Voluntary Departures Service Strategic Development Plan

Central Voluntary Departures Service overview slide pack

UK Statistics Authority Guidance

Q7, Q10, Q11 Overview of recent Home Office activity in

respect of voluntary return promotion.

Q11, Q12

Q1

‘Mystery shopper’ Y Testing access to relevant voluntary departure websites via

‘Google’ and the GOV.UK website. Q15, Q16

Interviews with

stakeholders (list the

stakeholders)

Y

Informal face-to-face and telephone discussions with Home

Office leads for: AVR; Immigration Enforcement Community

Engagement; Interventions and Sanctions team; Facilitated

Returns Scheme; Immigration Enforcement Performance

Reporting and Analysis.

Providing details of relevant operational policy and practice,

monitoring and evaluation to inform drafting of the report.

Consultation with national

stakeholders (list them) Y

Snowballing to identify Home Office teams likely to have a

direct interest in the study. Gathering input to assist in

answering the questions (lines, papers, etc.).

Circulating for input, comment and review by Home Office

stakeholders in Immigration Enforcement including policy and

operational team leads (including those interviewed as set out

above).

Input across the report and review of sections linked to their

areas of responsibility.

Consultation with national

network N

Other (specify) Internet

searches Y

GOV.UK searches

‘Google’ searches

Q7 To identify publicly accessible guidance on returns

procedures.

Q4 Migration Refusal Pool data

Q12, Q13, Q15 Web pages providing information about

voluntary return

Q14 Foreign National Offender data

Q12, Q13, Q15

dissemination of information on voluntary return: how to ......5 dissemination of information on...

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